England signal intent by encroaching on All Blacks' haka - but where does the haka come from?
England signalled their intent at the start of their Rugby World Cup semi-final against New Zealand on Saturday with three players crossing the halfway line to stare down the All Blacks.
Joe Marler ignored calls from officials to retreat at the edge of a V-shaped formation the English adopted to face New Zealand's traditional war dance before Manu Tuilagi stunned the defending champions with a try inside the first two minutes.
But where does the haka come from? And why should opponents respect it?
New Zealand Tourism explains that the haka "is an ancient posture dance of the New Zealand Māori that was traditionally used to prepare a war party for battle. It was performed either on the battlefield prior to engagement with the enemy, or as the war party was leaving their own village en route to a battle."
Hakas are performed on special occasions, such as funerals or to welcome distinguished guests.
There is not just one haka and there are some haka that can be performed by anyone, regardless of sex. There are even some women-only haka.
The haka has been performed by the New Zeeland rugby team before a game since the 80s and traditionally teams have respected it as a cultural practice.
However, this has not always been the case and over the years a number of opponents have snubbed it.
In 2016, South African rugby fans sang over the haka in Durban, and some teams have responded with aggressiveness to it.
Additional reporting by AFP.